Tag Archives: women’s literature

Sometimes it’s about looking back and remembering. Sometimes it’s about looking forward, thinking about, and planning the future. And sometimes…well, it’s just about laughing at both of those things.

Today I am laughing over sad times because I’m finally finding the humor and love that surrounded each moment that brought me to the place I am right now. Nothing that happened in our lives can be changed – it happened. Dr. Suess said: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” The thing is, even the thing that is “over” brought be a gift that I wouldn’t have if it hadn’t happened.

Greetings friends, (I’m pretty sure that if you stop by to read my thoughts you have to be my friend!)

Today is a bittersweet celebration day.

Celebrating that Timeless is live – Andy’s story is finally available for you to catch up on what he’s been thinking all this time. The Rock and Roll Series spans over about forty years and Andy’s kept a lot of things bottled up. Letting go is freeing. I hope you’ll check out the ENCORE (I love that my friend Francine called it that.)

Also – Amazon bundled them, so if you haven’t read the first three – you can purchase them all:
or maybe you loved the 1st three so much and are excited about the ENCORE that you want to gift them all.https://tinyurl.com/yc9vcetk

If you have read the first books, I hope you fall in love with Andy all over again.

I love and appreciate all of you who have followed OUR journey.

Release day always makes me think of my mom. Alis would already be done reading this book that just released today – she DEVOURED words. I think she is part of each story in some way. I always slip “something Alis” in. This time, she’s a special part of the end of the book, in my “After Thoughts” and I have to thank my friend Judy for the idea of adding what you will find there.

But today I’m thinking of Alis even more. Today is not only release day – it’s my birthday and I miss her most on holidays – and YES! MY BIRTHDAY IS A HOLIDAY! 🙂

My earliest memories of birthdays included “MY SPECIAL CELEBRATION” which, until I turned 16 or so was always what she thought was my favorite – because I was a girl – and girls liked pink… so my cake was ALWAYS cherry chip, with pink frosting and cherry vanilla ice cream. As I got older I told her that it really wasn’t my favorite – she acted shocked! I told her that I loved her carrot cake and that I was a plain ol’vanilla ice cream girl. After that she baked her recipe – 14 Carat Cake – I have it and one day I will tackle the work involved. She made it for Gene and my wedding cake and each time I look at the recipe I think of all the love it took for her to bake that cake for me each time she did. I settle for Publix’s carrot cake (almost as good, but missing the love) now.

One of my other birthday memories was her telling me, or calling me later in my life to tell me (and I can almost relay it word-for-word):

“Do you know what I was doing (however many) years ago today at 3:42 in the morning? I was crying, because you were a girl and I knew your dad wanted a boy.”

And then she would tell me how wrong she was, that my dad loved me and bragged on me being the most beautiful baby in the nursery…

As you get older – this is my 58th celebration of life – you remember things more fondly. They become TIMELESS.

I know it has been a long time since I’ve added any thoughts here – my head was full of too many other things that I couldn’t think about what to share with you. Lots of changes in my work life in the past few months and I am prayerful about more to come. If you follow along on Facebook, you know that we have had some (too many) trials with Gene’s health lately as well.

I’m hoping that with a new year the opportunities for me to have ME TIME will be greater. I am ready for some peace and calm.

I can tell you that I haven’t been writing as much as I’d like, but…

I have a final story from Andy that I am working on. He came to me and said “this isn’t finished,” and shared some thoughts with me 🙂 I love when he does that! We are a ways off, but TIMELESS is coming.

And… There is another story that needs some major tweaks and love that I hope to get out this year – the title is AFTER THE FALL, and I hope that you will fall in love with Josh and Chellie’s story.

I will be better about stopping in and sharing updates and maybe teases with you.

I hope 2017 is filled with love and good things, and that the challenges you face are manageable – that’s what I’m shooting for… managing my challenges.

I have a working title for my next book – After the Fall. I love this story (I LOVE THEM ALL!) but this one has a personal story attached. It’s out of my hands for now. I’ve sent it to the next two sets of eyes – one a reader who has lived with me through each story and one is the first CRITICAL SET OF EYES… so it’s all I can do for now.

For those of you who didn’t like that I went a “little further” in the last book – for those who wanted more than I gave – these are my stories. I’ve reigned it back in JUST A TAD. Going further didn’t do anything for me – personally – and it didn’t get me anywhere outside my comfort zone… STICK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW… I know milder love stories and if that keeps my circle smaller, than that’s where I’m supposed to be.

I answered a post that someone else posted the other day about too much or too little and the bottom line is that we’re never going to please everyone – find your niche and stick to it. WRITE WHAT YOU LOVE, not what you hope someone else will.

I’ll be an anxious mess for the next few days – while the first eyes do their thing…

I’m going to end this with Happy Easter – He is Risen. If you don’t believe that, than happy whatever….

I haven’t posted in way too long, but I haven’t had anything profound to say 🙂

Today, I do… well, I don’t know about the profundity, but I have something to write about.

I’ve been working on my next project for a while. It’s getting close to being able to hand it off to let someone else read it. I’m thinking about that a lot. I’m thinking that I need to spread my wings a little wider… I don’t know, and that’s not what this post is about – just some babblings from Babs <3

The thing is about this story. I won’t call out names, but someone else’s experience and her openness to share insight in her posts on occasion made me think… if she experienced this in her life – WHO ELSE HAS?

After I asked myself that question, the story started flowing like water – sometimes water leaks from my eyes… This story is emotional for me. I’m working hard to make this good – I’m going back right now and asking myself is it good enough, because it might make you think about someone who is or has gone through the same experience – I don’t want to give too much away…

I don’t have a title yet, I’ll come back when I do.

Just wanted to let you know I’m writing.

I’m also exploring other avenues to make my books available. Amazon keeps making it harder…

I’ve been cleaning out our office (this is a HUGE undertaking and we aren’t done yet!). I’ve scanned a bunch of pics and added them to Facebook, and have enjoyed all the comments. As I went through a box of pics I was overcome with memories…

It was a box that I’d packed when my mom died and didn’t have a chance to go through – all these years later, I pulled that box out. School pictures, cards, her work ID, newspaper clippings from things in our past… and a love letter from my dad to celebrate their 26th anniversary. Spiral notebook, lined paper with words from my dad’s heart. I felt the love. I knew they loved each other, but this was special and I will treasure it always. He ended it with an expression that I have used in my books – not knowing they were his words too.

“I love you always, all ways” <3

That one piece of paper made the bags and boxes I’ve been going through worth every moment it took to get there.

Just a few words this morning. If you are my friend on Facebook, you know that I’m working on a new book. The title will be Lulu’s Loves.

It’s a journey through her life and each ‘love’ that she experiences. Some will be life long loves and some will be only blips of time that pass. In the end she will know all of her WHATS, WHERES, WHYS, and mostly WHOS.

This is a section that I wanted to share.

If you’re reading this…

I <3 you, B

“I realized tonight that what happened with us was part of growing. It was part of learning. It was part of us that we didn’t handle the best way we could. This is us getting a second chance – a chance to wake every day with a new opportunity to get it right. I want you to make love to me because I need you.”